I'm going to apologize, right now, for going on with my critique/praise for a long time, here.
I'm impressed with the technical quality in the game, so far. It's easy to impress yourself with the fact that you're basing the game on tickling and end up letting the game be "read about tickling," but you haven't done that. I feel like I'm playing a professionally produced RPG, while I'm playing this beta. This is a freaking beta and it rocks!
It's killing me that there is that other building east of the town and the disheveled tower south of the town that I can't access, because you've designed the town and forest so well. I expect to find something there, because you've detailed the rest of the game area so well. The forest area might be too small, if it weren't a starting area, but since it is a starting area, you don't want the player to spend forever there. I wish there were a couple more items to find under rocks or in tree stumps, but that's just a personal taste. I like being rewarded for looking all over the place, but it's not a reward if every rock has something. The log is an awesome Easter egg, because it doesn't matter that I wouldn't be dumb enough to climb in it, myself; I'm glad my character does it.
The writing is phenomenal. Characters actually have personalities that come through in the text. They don't need voiceovers to project their attitudes. The writing for the defeat scenes is great. I'm not a huge fan of the bunny and knismeshroom ones, myself (they're still well-written, just not exciting for me), but I am impressed by the variety and uniqueness of the different scenes. The bosses are suitably more detailed and impressive. I think I tried every combination against Venus, before I finally figured it out. There's a part of me that says you can't game over someone for one wrong decision, but the writing was so good (and the ability to save immediately before starting the battle helps a lot) that overall it was still a very enjoyable experience (even though it took me 5 tries to do it right for the first time).
Quest design is good. It's unfortunate that the format forces quests to mostly be fed-ex or beat monster X, but you're handling it really well. The quest givers and their motives are different enough from each other that I didn't feel like I was repeating anything. It's only when I step back and really consider everything I just did, that I realize that. The only sequence I didn't like was Bee sending me to the town so I could return to her and have her send me back to the town, immediately. I think that sequence is "turn in essense" followed by "pickup codex." I wish I could do both those things at the same time or do something else in the forest in between those 2 tasks. Unsolicited advice alert: Maybe she should mention the person who might help you earlier, to give people the nudge to think about quests from townspeople end alert.
Now, I'll comment on the "extra spots" conversation. I think that if you increase the focus there, it may take away from other aspects of the game. Each class gets, what was it?, 5 or 6 special abilities over the course of the game. There are already 8 "techniques" that all classes share, in the specific spots you already have. I don't think you should increase the list of things that are the same about each class. I think your design, at this point, is great. I'd like a little more differentiation between the classes early on, but I can't complain about what you have. Unsolicited advice alert: If you really like the idea, I would use it as a special ability for the archer or thief class to notice a particularly weak spot. You do no damage in the round you study your opponent, but you could learn a weak point that will help you in combat. Otherwise that's a trick you could save for some special battles to increase the variety (as if your writing needed any help in that area) end alert.
Bonus content can be allowed to be game-breaking, but only if you find it during the end game. You are absolutely right. Don't mess with your system when it's working so well. If it takes people time or ingenuity to find something, they should be rewarded with something that makes the rest of the experience more enjoyable by increasing their options or making the game easier. Items that can be used a limited number of times, only in specific circumstances, or that activate randomly are a good way to balance powerful effects. A negative effect on an otherwise powerful item is another good balance trick. The harpy feather is a good example of equipment. It's only an option that isn't obviously, strictly better than the alternative. That's another valid way to do bonus content. Don't ever forget that it's bonus content, which means you have no obligation to provide it. I would be disappointed to not find at least a few things, after what you've already done, but you really aren't obligated to provide anything. Get the core game right and you don't need bonuses.
Overall, your design and writing are great. I can't wait for the next update, but, as Lurker said, please don't burn yourself out. I've done that on too many projects I've started in my life and it would be a shame for this game to die before it's finished.
Oh, yeah... and you picked good art. Reeeeeally good art.
Lunar
